4. Sabs
FOUR
Sabs
It turns out Adler is better at volleyball than I thought but not even close to being as good as me.
The beads of sweat dripping down his carved torso do prove more than a little distracting, though.
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a six-pack in such high definition before.
And damn, seeing how his muscles pull and stretch when he strikes the ball almost makes me stumble.
Luckily, despite his power moves and speed, he’s ridiculously easy to read.
His darting eyes give him away, making it obvious where he’s aiming every time.
Our game has helped to keep my mind off my conversation with Drax earlier that I’m not ready to start unpacking yet. For a little longer, I want to forget about the reality that our friendship may be over.
“What’s wrong, Ace?” I tease as Adler pants over the net, pausing between sets. “Do you want to renegotiate the terms of our deal? I’m already imagining you dressed as a French maid.” I rub my chin. “Or maybe Tinker Bell? You could really rock the wings.”
I can totally imagine him waving a sparkly wand in a tutu. Kady would have a field day running a story in The Valley Voice about the fairy puck-mother cheering me on, and I know Devon—one of her top reporters—would put an amazing spin on it.
Adler’s blue eyes flash with determination, giving me a glimpse of his inner competitiveness, which makes him even hotter. “I never back away from a deal.”
An alpha with drive who knows what he wants? A big tick in my book.
“This is your last chance to forfeit.” I pop a hand on my hip. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
My heart leaps at the sight of his cocky smile. “Oh, it’s on, Maverick.” He winks, the confidence exuding from his every pore sexy as hell. “You’re going to look cute in fluffy fox ears.”
“Don’t count on it,” I fire back.
When we return to our spots, I take the opportunity to warm up. While I don’t have Adler’s strength, I do have the power to throw him off guard. Judging by how he’s blatantly checking out my legs during my hamstring stretch, I’m sure to get a head start.
“You’ve got this, Sabs!” Nia calls.
I grin at her. “Hell yeah, I do!”
Corbin punches the air in agreement from the sidelines.
“Dude!” Adler glares at him. “What happened to bro code? You’re supposed to be supporting me.”
“She’s got skills.” Corbin shrugs as Nia beams at him in admiration. “It’s fun to see someone whip your ass for a change.”
With my reputation on the line, I ready myself, ignoring the heckles. Preparing to serve, I narrow my eyes, meeting Adler’s stare. I suppress a smile when a frisson of electricity cracks through the air between us. Neither of us are going down without a fight.
After intense rallying, I jump, hitting the ball with a wrist snap, resulting in a stellar spike.
He lunges to return it, but he’s too slow.
While he can probably slaughter me on ice, the sand is my comfort zone.
He falls to the ground, narrowly missing the ball as it lands a mere inch from his head.
Cheering erupts around me as I come out victorious, flicking my hair dramatically over my shoulder.
“You did well,” I declare smugly, striding over to him to gloat while he’s still lying on his back in defeat. “For a rookie.”
Corbin shakes his head in commiseration. “You didn’t stand a chance, dude.”
“Who’s up for another game?” Carmen is already picking up the ball as a few of Adler’s teammates take on the challenge. I laugh, knowing that my girls are going to kick their asses even harder than I did Adler’s. “You in, captain?”
“Count me out of this one,” I say, then turn to Adler, rolling my eyes as he groans. He’s obviously not used to losing. “Need a hand?” I offer him mine, then help him to his feet. “Better luck next time.”
His pout is adorable as he brushes the sand off him. I have to clamp my jaw shut to stop myself from drooling. Fuck, he smells like sunshine—zesty orange, lime, and a dash of something sweet that reminds me of sunscreen.
Adler chuckles, his confidence returning. “Like what you see?”
Oops. Apparently, I wasn’t subtle while checking him out. “Not as much as I liked seeing you dive and miss,” I quip in a flash.
“You’re something else, Sabrina Maverick. A real firecracker.”
“Firecracker,” I ponder the term. “I like that.”
Sexual tension simmers between us, igniting a warmth between my legs. We both stay standing in the center of the court until someone yells at us to move out of the way so the next game can begin.
I stifle a shiver as we leave the court. Now that the sun has set and we’re not moving, a cooler breeze has rolled in.
“Are you cold?” Adler notices. We reach a deck chair, where he scoops up his discarded hockey jersey. It’s bright orange with a fox head logo and emblazoned with the number one. “Here.”
“Don’t you need it?” I frown. “I’m not the one who’s topless.”
“Alphas run hot.” Yeah, he doesn’t need to tell me that. “Take it.”
I don’t argue as I tug it over my head, instantaneously enveloped in his delicious scent. His jersey drowns me, covering my shorts completely, the silky fabric feeling dreamy against my skin.
“Look!” Behind us, one of his many swooning fans wails in despair. “He gave that slut his jersey!”
Adler seems oblivious to the chaos the act of giving me the jersey has caused, wetting his pillowy lips as he admires me. “It suits you.”
A blonde Barbie lookalike shoves past me surrounded by an entourage.
“Your admirers don’t seem that enthralled about it,” I comment, folding my arms. “You better not have a girlfriend, Adler Ace.”
I’m all for casual fun, but I’m not a homewrecker. And I know that Adler has a reputation. Kady once told me that half of the questions they get sent to The Valley Voice’s inbox revolve around Adler’s dating history.
“What? Fuck. No.” He shakes his head. “I’ve never had a girlfriend. I just…” He grins, running his hands through his short hair. “Enjoy making women happy.”
I laugh, appreciating his honesty. I have a feeling that this alpha will know exactly how to satisfy me. And even if he needs some lessons, with a body like his, I will have no problem hopping on and teaching him.
A group of drunken alphas pass us, slapping Adler on the shoulder, slurring lines like, “You’re the man!”, “Good game, Ace!” and “Foxes forever!”
I wrinkle my nose. “Is it like this everywhere you go on campus?”
“Well, I mean…” He shrugs. “Yeah.”
Usually, I’d hate a guy who came across as even a little arrogant, but I find Adler charming.
“I’m getting a little tired of being stared at like I’m a walking pinata.
” I gesture down at his jersey that the puck bunnies can’t seem to look away from.
While I don’t care what they think, there’re certainly better ways I could be spending my time.
“Do you…” Adler’s gaze burns into mine, clinging to my every word, the air thickening. “Want to get out of here?”
“You mean…?”
I lean in closer, so close that I discover that this hockey player smells even better than my favorite of Vi’s amazing sorbets. “Do I really need to spell it out?”
A lingering guilt rises to the surface as Drax’s hurt expression pops into my mind, but I dismiss it just as fast. Why shouldn’t I have fun with Adler?
Drax made it clear that he doesn’t want to be in my life, so I shouldn’t feel bad.
It’s not like we were dating! I’ve been complaining to the Stellas for months about not being able to find an alpha to satisfy my needs, and Adler Ace could be exactly what I’ve been waiting for.
Adler’s mouth brushes my ear lobe, sending a tremble of longing down my spine that confirms I’m definitely making the right decision, and it’s not just the cocktails talking. “I thought you’d never ask.”
“I live in Omega Village, so your place?”
Alphas are banned from entering OV, the omega-only area of campus, which is guarded around the clock. Hook-ups tend to take place in pack houses or even renting out cabins in the nearby mountains, especially for longer heats.
“Works for me,” Adler says. “My pack are out tonight, so we’ll have the place to ourselves.”
“Perfect.” Anticipation ripples through me. “I should probably let Nia know that I’m leaving.”
I look around. Most of my teammates are busy playing volleyball or involved in a game of limbo. Ordinarily, I’d be itching to join a limbo game, but I’d rather prove my flexibility in other ways tonight.
“There she is.” Adler points, seeing her first. “It looks like she’s a little busy.” Corbin is seated on a beach chair, Nia straddling his lap. The two are lip-locked, her FemSoc buttons strewn over the sand at their feet. Poor Corbin. She’s going to eat him alive.
“I guess my matchmaking worked,” I remark.
“You can’t take all the credit,” Adler scoffs. “I did half the work at least.”
“I hope you’re going to be this enthusiastic about putting in equal work when we get back to your place.”
Adler’s eyes bulge.
“What?” I bat my eyelashes. “No one likes a selfish alpha in the bedroom.”
A laugh explodes from him. “Fuck, you’re going to be a handful, aren’t you?”
“You can count on it.”
His enormous hand, the size of a dinner plate, wraps around my waist possessively. The heat of his mammoth palm through the fabric makes my knees go weak. “Let’s get out of here.”
A volleyball lands at my feet as we turn to go. When Carmen scampers after it, she looks knowingly between me and Adler.
“Sweet dreams, Sabs,” she chirps with a wink. “If you get any sleep, that is.”
I blow her a kiss. “See you at practice next week!”
“There are golf carts we can jump into up the hill,” Adler motions toward them.
I tear away from him and break out into a run. “Race you!”
Although I’m ahead, he’s fast on my tail, eager to win at least one game tonight. I look back over my shoulder, grinning as I will my feet to move faster. Sadly, I’m no match for him. I might have been better at volleyball, but it’s clear I’ll never beat him in a race.